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  With the angel buried and the grave covered back up, Amnur shuffled over to a nearby pond and wiped the mud off his fingers, giving himself a mental reminder to wash his hands again when he got back. He heaved the armour up into his arms and slotted the blade over his shoulder, glad that Linlake was close by as he began the journey back.

  ***

  "You come bearing gifts?" Crono jested when he saw the mage struggling with the armour. Amnur placed it down on the floor and took a deep breath, turning his head up towards the demon. He had two companions with him, not demons he had seen so far. They were tall, very tall; a good few feet over Nathaniel and Sebastian. Both were however still new bloods to his knowledge; they lacked the thick, powerful body of the northern old bloods or the oppressive, bestial appearance of the southern old bloods. There may be some relation to the South, given their height though, Amnur thought.

  They were similar to each other, one was a female version of the other; she had red eyes, his eyes were a piercing white. The branches horns were a feature on both of them, a peculiar thing; it gave no indication as to their heritage, or not to the well-known categories.

  "There was an angel; he refused to leave, so I dealt with him. I just thought that perhaps you would have some use for the metal from the armour, save it going to waste," Amnur replied, slipping the blade off his shoulder and placing it down next to the rest.

  "Saves us having to barter metal off the humans," the female demon spoke up, coming forward and bending down to inspect Amnur's spoils. "High-quality metal too, should make some nice stuff."

  "Is trading with humans an issue?"

  "They've taken recently to scalping us for metal, amongst a few other items," Crono sighed, muttering the word bastards under his breath. "That's Na-ri, by the way. The other one behind me is Abel, her twin brother."

  Abel waved but otherwise remained silent, while Na-ri nodded as Crono stated their names.

  "Leaders of Esterbrook and Valmeadow," Na-ri added, turning her head up from the pile. "I'll take this with me, our blacksmith is down that way anyway. You can keep the blade though, more use whole."

  Amnur awkwardly offered out a hand to shake, unsure how to bid farewell to Na-ri, assuming they were leaving and he hadn't misread her intentions.

  "No need for the formalities, kid," Na-ri chuckled, although she did shake Amnur's hand. Faint laughing from behind grabbed her attention, so she spun around. "What?"

  "Amnur's older than you, only by a few years, but he is," Crono snickered.

  "Oh. Well, forgot that last part," she replied, blushing at the embarrassment. With a sweep of her long arms, she scooped up the armour and carried it over to Abel, who took it from her.

  As they left, Amnur could hear Na-ri comment that he looked so young, with Abel smiling at the comment.

  "Good job, by the way. You alright?" Crono asked as the twins disappeared into the distance.

  "Yeah, Nathaniel nearly killing me did teach me a few things about combat; tried them out and got away without any injuries," Amnur replied, stretching his arms to recover from the lifting. "Was it just because it was the first time, or is Abel always silent?"

  "He tends to be rather withdrawn and lets his sister order him around. You didn't hear me say that, though," Crono winked, making Amnur laugh. "If you could keep them separated, I'd imagine he's a nice guy; the fact he's caring shines through regardless."

  "Could be awkward with twins, but I might try. See if I can find that buried personality of his."

  "Just be careful; Na-ri has a fierce temper if angered, regardless of your intentions."

  Amnur took the warning to heart, but he didn't let it deter him. Something about Abel just intrigued him, a sense of loyalty that Amnur longed for.

  ***

  As more angels tried the depths of the swamps, Amnur started to notice a trend; he was rather limited in close combat and the fact his words meant nothing to the feathered race. One of the two things he could fix, the other he just had to sigh and roll his eyes.

  He had approached Crono about someone teaching him how to fight with blades, as there was no unwritten law stating that a mage couldn't be a melee fighter at the same time. Crono was open to the idea and got him in contact with a local who was amiable to the notion, given the fact training Amnur benefited them anyway.

  After his daily watches, Amnur was trained in the art of combat and trialled with a variety of weapons, trying to find a style that fitted the mage. The two weapons he picked up well were dual blades and longbow, the latter being used for hunting rather than combat for him. He impressed his teacher by showcasing his ability to enchant the blades, watching as the flames rolled over the edge. Enchanting arrows hadn't been such a success though; while he had managed to coat the arrowhead, the flames soon spread to the wooden shaft and set the whole thing alight. If he wished to have flaming arrows, he would have to stick to traditional methods.

  Amnur's well-tempered discipline allowed him to learn fast, enough that the next time he went out, he had a pair of sharp, albeit tarnished blades with him. Learning the methods also taught him how to evade certain attacks he had seen the angels using and by relation, any demon attacks he may incur.

  It wasn't long until he yet again found an angel. Their appearances had begun to slow down, but he gathered they considered the West an easier target, regardless of the fact that the recent wanderers had not returned. Uriel too may have said something to keep angels away from the East, depending on his opinion on Sebastian. The blades had proven to be a boon for him, giving him the much-needed power at close range. Amnur was no longer so wary to get into close range, although he had to be wary of any tactics the angels may have that he had not yet seen. He had to note that his muscle tone was not built up enough to completely repel a physical confrontation though, instead he had to be smart. The angels often called him cheap, but he would rather be alive and perhaps cheap than dead and fair. Amnur just decided that it was their ego talking and the fact they had lost to a demon was too much to take, so they'd rather throw the blame on his battle tactics rather than their own weakness.

  Once again he had another pile of armour to present to Crono, and the weight of the metal was beginning to strain him less. Abel and Na-ri were yet again present, although the discussion seemed more serious in nature than the last time. He gently placed the armour down to keep his presence quiet and singled out Abel, who was quietly keeping to himself away from where his sister was.

  "Hey Abel, how are you?" Amnur said, smiling at the overly tall demon. Abel gazed at him, gesturing towards the house to where Na-ri was, before realising that Amnur's interest was in him. He remained silent, unsure how to react to the sudden interest.

  "I'm fine thanks, can I help you?" Abel replied with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

  "Nothing particular, just casual conversation."

  Abel stared at him, bemused at the idea. Amnur, seeing his silence, decided to take the opportunity to introduce himself, hopefully clearing up any misconceptions that the rumours surrounding his history created. While he spoke, Abel had decided to sit down; a sign that Amnur took to be either interest or trust. It also made it easier to address the demon, now he didn't have to strain to even see his face. The demon examined the situation between his sister and Crono and on seeing them deep in conversation, allowed himself to relax.

  "My sister and I arrived here around ten years ago and settled into the swamp, the whole leader thing only came about due to the sudden availability following the large-scale angel attack," Abel remarked.

  "So I'm not the only wanderer? What brought you two here?"

  "Our home was no longer safe."

  Amnur thought about pressing him on the issue, but considering the fact he had purposely avoided telling him what had threatened them, the effort would not be appreciated. He didn't need to know, so he kept his silence regarding the issue.

  "Are you two mages? I don't see either of you carrying weapons," Amnur queried, turning t
he subject away from any potentially painful pasts.

  "In a sense, while we possess large quantities of aether, we can't directly cast; we can, however, summon elemental beings, making us-"

  "Shamen?" Amnur interrupted eagerly. Those with the ability to talk to the elementals were something he had learnt about in texts, but he never thought he'd actually meet one, let alone two. "What are the elementals like?"

  "Hang on," Abel replied, becoming excited himself when he saw Amnur's eagerness. He began a quiet chant, whispering on the aether currents to the realm to which the elementals resided. His request was answered, and soon a pool of pitch emerged from the ground, expanding upwards until it solidified into a humanoid shape, although twisted in nature. Amnur watched with interest, the element he had summoned was an obvious one given its black body; darkness. "Its form is highly variable, it can transform into any shape given it possesses enough aether to do so."

  "Can it talk?"

  "Yes, but this one is rather stoic. My light elemental would be more willing to talk if you wanted a discussion."

  "You own elementals? Or do you just bond with certain individuals? I remember reading something about how individual elementals vary, even those of the same element," Amnur remarked, leaning in to touch the elemental's skin. In this static state, the skin was smooth and firm, capable of damage should it choose to attack. The elemental remained still as the mage's examined it, although its eyes followed his hand as he moved it around.

  "The latter. You appear quite knowledgeable when it comes to magic," Abel stated, smiling as he watched on.

  "I always enjoyed researching magic, from wide-ranging topics such as the flow of aether to the more niche ones like aetherial phenomenon, on both a large and small scale."

  The elemental distorted its body near to where Amnur was investigating back to the liquid, aether pitch and allowed him to examine the difference. Amnur could feel the aether pulse as it raced around the liquid medium; the creature held a level of mana several magnitudes above that of a normal being, the sheer amount allowing it to exist without the need of organs as it turned the natural aether to sustenance. Elementals were a curiosity due to this; normal organisms die when aether levels become excessive, but excessive aether births life in the form of elementals.

  "Why don't you give Amnur a show?" Abel spoke up, briefly distracting Amnur from the being. It looked at Abel, before turning back to Amnur. Swiftly, it altered its state to a liquid and disappeared into the ground, fading from sight. Amnur glanced at Abel and shrugged, wondering if the request had irritated it.

  Unexpectedly, Amnur found himself completely unable to move as the pitch surrounded his body, binding him to the spot. Surprised but not afraid, the mage tried to see if he could cast, but the pitch attached to his hands smothered the aether as it built up in his hands.

  "That's impressive," Amnur commented, feeling small tendrils of solidified pitch prod his body. The elemental could still move and by relation, attack, while binding its target; something that it was playfully showing off to him. Once it considered the display done, it let him go and reverted back to the humanoid form, allowing Amnur to once again move. He tried casting once again, producing a flickering flame in his palm.

  "Everything alright here?" Na-ri interrupted, having seen the display with the elemental, although she had not heard the previous conversation.

  "Abel was just showing off for me, nothing aggressive. It was intriguing, actually."

  Na-ri's expression subtly soured, enough to Abel uncomfortable. Abel briefly shook his head, although Amnur was unable to see as his attention was on Na-ri. She let out a short sigh, turning her attention to the newly gathered armour pile. "Suppose it's time for us to head home again, get this processed."

  Amnur took a few steps back to give her room, hearing the elemental let out a quiet grunt as he neared it. He went to apologise but then saw what it was attracting him to; Abel. His dejection was subtle, but Amnur could see the demon was upset. Slightly sagging wings, a frown and a stiff posture. Na-ri had told him off about this, for whatever reason. That irritated him, but Crono had warned him on Na-ri; creating a scene would not go down well.

  "Let him know that if he wishes to talk at all, he knows where to find me," he whispered to the elemental, who grunted in reply, thanking him he assumed. Amnur stared as Na-ri lifted the pile of armour and once again gave it to Abel, forcing him to take the weight. The fire mage let out a low growl as he saw her command her brother around, something which the elemental echoed. It held no admiration for Na-ri over the treatment of its master either, although it was limited to act.

  The female demon started them walking back towards home, with the elemental pausing briefly before it followed. Crono waited until they were out of sight to approach, having watched the tail-end of what happened.

  "If it weren't for the fact they look near identical, you'd confuse them for master and slave," Amnur sighed, hearing the old blood behind him. "Abel's really sweet too, it's a real shame."

  "I kept Na-ri distracted as long as I could, but when she saw the elemental, she broke the conversation off instantly," Crono apologised, but Amnur shook his head.

  "Do you know anything about their past?"

  "No more than I imagine Abel was allowed to tell you, that their home is no longer safe."

  Allowed summed it up perfectly. Na-ri held dominance over her brother, controlling his ability to interact and socialise with others. He feared the repercussions of breaking the rules too, his sudden change in personality showed that.

  "I need to get him entirely alone, allow him to fully open up to me; for his sake more than mine."

  "They live in the same house so that could be difficult; I can try and get messages to him directly, but keep the tone casual in case Na-ri intercepts any," Crono commented, seeing Amnur continuing to stew over the issue. That was the best he could do, for now, simply hope Abel was eager enough to take the initiative while being able to build the courage to face the consequences. Amnur would be willing to stand by his side; seeing him controlled by his sister to the point of fear reminded him of Nathaniel and his tactics. If he could stop that happening to someone else, he would consider that success.

  Chapter 22: Reaching Out

  Amnur tried and tried, but there had been no vocal response from Abel over the last few months. The only thing that had turned up was a colourful feather set within a wooden box, similar to those that he wore on his clothing. Whether that was a sign of friendship or a warning from Na-ri, he was unsure. He expected the latter to be far more aggressive and vocal if it were the case, however. The next time Na-ri turned up, it was Na-ri alone. Abel was nowhere to be seen. Amnur read the message and became angry, feeling he was going to have to force the issue.

  He went out into the swamps on one of his usual patrols, trying to trawl through both the undergrowth and his thoughts. Considering their shamen nature, Amnur was honestly unsure how well he would do in a fight with Na-ri. Abel had to spend time, albeit brief, to summon an elemental; time that could be interrupted. He didn't wish to kill his sister though, that feeling may not be mutual, however. What he wanted to do was to force her to stop the dominance, or see what the dominance was doing to her brother. If she was somehow unaware of it. That alone didn't need physical confrontation, but he doubted that it would just remain verbal.

  The violent crack of a twig grabbed his attention back to the musty swamp. He glanced down, but there was no branch under his feet; he was not alone. Amnur slipped one hand down to his blades and kept the other ready to cast, trying to spot the intruder. A white form appeared from behind a tree and froze on seeing that it wasn't alone, the two had spotted each other. Before Amnur could speak, a second white form took up position next to the original one. Angels, plural. He could tell this could be difficult, the terrain only offered him some advantages over his less capable opponents. Silence hung in the air as the angel on the left scowled, giving Amnur precious time to examine the situat
ion. Their attire was different; instead of a heavy plate, it was a light and elegant cloth, although the detailed stitching told him that this was the attire of a mage, not an angel in casual clothing. His companion was a woman, which Amnur assumed to be a romantic partner, given the otherwise odd outing. Compared to the first female angel he had seen, she appeared far more battle-hardy and willing to fight.

  Two mages were going to pose a problem, he lost any ranged advantage that he started with. He went to voice his warning but instead found himself having to dodge a hastily fired bolt of light magic. Before Amnur could catch his breath, a barrage of magic flew in his direction, cutting off his routes of escape. Searing pain radiated out from his newly obtained wounds, leaving him with the disadvantage. Amnur darted behind a tree, using its thick bark to protect him from harm. He took a deep breath and readied a potent spell, aiming to cut the number of opponents down to one. His plan was cut short when the angels emerged from either side of the tree, with both radiating light as they channelled light-based aether.

  Amnur panicked, splitting up his spell and throwing it at both targets. The angels exchanged fire, creating a brief moment where neither party could see for the sudden explosion of mana. He could feel blood dripping down his body, leaking from fresh wounds. His vision came back, and he was alone, save from the scorch marks on the tree. Groaning came from behind the tree, and Amnur cautiously peered around, seeing the woman trying to help her stricken companion. She glanced up and saw the demon, panic spreading across her face.